When in Rome... Do as the Romans do! Past Review
By Charlie W (Business and Communication, Trinity University) - abroad from 02/03/2014 to 05/23/2014 with
IES Abroad: Study Rome - Language & Area Studies
I learned to not keep such a limited perspective on the world. There are so many cultures out there and every one has a different perspective... it really blew my mind to see how peoples' values and lifestyles changed across the world.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Loved everything about the academic setting of the program. Only complaint I have is that the wifi wasn't very reliable. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IES had wonderful facilities, scheduled a variety of social and educational events to partake in, and the staff was fantastic. Truly a great experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Prati was fabulous, my apartment was spacious, my roommates were wonderful, I absolutely loved it all. |
| * Food: |
I wasn't very impressed by Italian pizza. But the freshness of all the local produce and groceries totally made up for it, it was delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were definitely times when I felt like a dumb American in a totally different culture, but for the most part I was able to adjust and had all the help I needed to do so. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health problems. |
| * Safety: |
I studied abroad with my girlfriend. Although I never experienced any safety issues, I know she did on multiple occasions. She was even attacked late at night RIGHT BY THE VITORIANO. Kind of scary... |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
I travelled a LOT so prices went up. If I had stayed in Rome, it would have been much easier to live on a student's budget. Thankfully I had my mother's financial assistance to allow me to see all I wanted to see. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Food was under 100 a week for sure (maybe around 50), other expenses.... travel was expensive, maybe another 100-150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | BUY LOCAL AND COOK YOURSELF |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
They really pushed us to speak Italian and learn it for day-to-day use. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I learned advanced French but had never taken any Italian in my life. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | My tip is, you have the ability to learn the language. It comes down to whether you want to or not. If you really want to learn Italian then that relies on you SPEAKING ITALIAN. Do that, and you'll learn. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Plan ahead, there's a lot to see and never enough time to see it all. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
